Shaw write-down, content pauses, fuel talk of new, or no, partnership
IN JULY, SHAW COMMUNICATIONS wrote down the value of its 50% stake in the shomi streaming service to nil. That move, plus the fact shomi emerged from spring’s annual Los Angeles TV screenings with no new content purchases, has led many in the industry to wonder aloud about the future of the Rogers-Shaw joint venture.
At the time of the write-down, Shaw CFO Vito Culmone told analysts the $51 million accounting charge taken after it had sold its traditional media assets to Corus Entertainment did not "say anything more about…
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VANCOUVER and CALGARY — Shaw Communications and SeaBus ferry operator TransLink are expanding WiFi access to all SeaBus ferries in Vancouver as part of their ongoing partnership.
Ferry passengers who travel between downtown Vancouver and the North Shore will be able to text, tweet and email during their commute without incurring costly data charges, the companies said in a news release.
“Until now, commuters have been able to enjoy complimentary access at both terminals,” Greg Pultz, vice-president of operations for Calgary-based Shaw Communications, said in the news release. “As of today, anyone and everyone who wants it has access to…
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OTTAWA – The Canadian Association of Community Television Users and Stations (CACTUS) said today it has received a letter from the CRTC indicating the Commission is deferring consideration of almost 60 complaints filed against community TV channels until their cable licence renewals this fall.
The complaints were filed by CACTUS in partnership with community groups earlier this year, and were concerned with cable community TV channels operated by Eastlink, Cogeco, Shaw and Rogers. According to CACTUS, the channels either fail to air adequate local content (generally 60% of the program schedule) or adequate citizen-generated content (generally 50% of the schedule)…
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VANCOUVER – Canadian fibre optic provider Dixon Networks is celebrating 50 years of helping Canadians connect and communicate.
The Vancouver-based company started in 1966 by connecting families in rural B.C. with basic telephone service. It now has offices in British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario, and counts Telus, Rogers, Shaw, Delta Cable, the Province of Ontario, Alberta SuperNet and the City of Burnaby among its customers.
“Dixon has been a quiet leader in Canada’s tech industry for fifty years,” said CEO Brian Harris. “We laid the fibre that allowed people across British Columbia to first surf the Web. Now, we’re building…
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CALGARY – Shaw Data Centre and Cloud Solutions and its ViaWest subsidiary are partnering with Silicon Valley’s Console to allow businesses to connect directly to hyper-scale cloud providers through Shaw and ViaWest data centres.
This direct link will improve the quality of this connection through guaranteed bandwidth, increased speed, lower latency, and the ability to access one or more cloud providers through a single connection, reads Tuesday’s news release. Avoiding the open Internet will also ensure connections are less vulnerable to network congestion and at less risk of potential security issues.
“Our Console partnership extends our network and a reliable…
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CALGARY – Shaw Communication’s move away from media and towards wireless appears to be paying off, as the company saw third quarter profits triple.
For the three month period ended May 31, 2016, Shaw posted net income of $704 million, up 236.8% from $209 million from the same period last year, which it said reflects higher operating income before restructuring costs and amortization with the addition of its wireless results, a gain on the sale of its media division which were offset in part by an equity loss from its investment in Corus Entertainment and certain non-recurring items.
Revenue for the…
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CALGARY – "Speed is up, cost is down," is the marketing behind Shaw Communications’ newly launched Internet service.
WideOpen Internet 150, available now in most major markets across Western Canada, offers up to 150 Mbps download speed, up to 15 Mbps upload speed, and 1 terabyte (TB) of data transfer per month, with no fees if customers exceed their monthly data allocation. It also includes an advanced WiFi modem and access to download speeds of up to 30 Mbps at over 80,000 Shaw Go WiFi hotspots.
The service is priced at $49.90 per month for the first 12 months on a…
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TORONTO – Despite a 77.6% lift in revenues, merger expenses helped to widen third quarter losses at Corus Entertainment, the company said Wednesday.
For the period ended May 31, 2016, consolidated revenues grew to $360.8 million from $203.1 million in the same period last year, due in part to the addition of Shaw’s Media’s properties. Consolidated segment profit of $130.2 million jumped 90% from $68.7 million year-over-year.
Net loss attributable to shareholders for the quarter was $15.8 million versus $8.1 million in Q3 2015. The company said that the loss includes business acquisition, integration and restructuring costs of $29.3 million and…
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GATINEAU – In an unsurprising decision, the CRTC denied Bell Canada’s request to review and vary the decision which gives third party independent Internet service providers access to incumbent networks’ newest fibre infrastructure.
Bell had submitted a Part 1 application to the CRTC to review and vary Telecom Regulatory Policy 2015-326 that states incumbent telecom providers must introduce a “disaggregated wholesale broadband access service” (DBS) so that independent ISPs gain access to FTTH (fibre to the home) facilities.
In a nutshell, Bell believes the CRTC’s decision has unfairly changed the rules governing fibre-to-the-home broadband networks by mandating…
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TORONTO – Bell Media’s The Comedy Network is readying new series and epsiodes as it preps for a free preview from June 30 – August 4.
The new content includes the linear TV premiere of the CraveTV original hit Letterkenny and the new series Wrecked (pictured), a half-hour single camera comedy that follows a group of plane crash survivors trying to make a new life for themselves on a deserted island. It also includes a marathon of The Detour, the return of Angie Tribeca, and new episodes of Just For Laughs: All Access.
The Comedy Freeview is available on TV service…
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